An Emmy Award winning British actor who often plays show-stealing villains in films like Die Hard (1988) and Robin Hood: Prince of Theives (1991), he is equally adept at historical figures as in Michael Collins (1996), and romantic leads as in Sense and Sensibility (1996), and Truly Madly Deeply (1992). Rickman studied the craft at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and The Royal College of Art in England. He won an Emmy for his performance in the title role in Rasputin (1996), then ducked behind the camera for The Winter Guest (1997), which he also wrote. In 2001, he appeared as Professor Serverus Snape in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone .